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Finding an educational niche for our son with PDD : an auto-ethnography

Hanekom, Pauline Wilna (2012-12)

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.

Includes bibiliography

Thesis

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: At birth every human being is at the starting point of many different journeys: journeys of discovery and change, and journeys of mental and physical growth. Most children follow a similar path of physical and mental growth to adulthood, achieving predetermined milestones at approximately the same age. But what happens to a child who cannot follow this path, a child born without a map? How do the diagnosis and subsequent educational journey of the child affect the parents of that child, parents who find themselves disabled by their experiences of parenthood and life? This study is an autoethnography. It was undertaken to reflect on the physical and emotional journey two parents experienced in finding an educational niche for their son who was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In an attempt to engage and involve the non-academic audience, while at the same time addressing the analytical needs of the researcher audience, evocative autoethnographic co-constructed narratives were combined with analytic autoethnography. Not only did I aim to fill in some of the gaps in researcher knowledge about South African parents’ experiences in finding educational support for their children with pervasive developmental delays, but I also wanted to provide knowledge, hope and encouragement to other parents, especially those parents who are at the start of a journey leading to a brighter future for their child with special needs.